Goddess
by Satine16
Summary: Ororo Monroe is the only reliable thing in her life, that is, until an unlikely romance blooms between old friends and the past returns from its grave. A complicated tale revolving around the journey of a spirit trying to find herself. COMPLETE
1. Goodbye

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 1: Goodbye  
  
Summary: With every beginning there has been an ending.   
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me. The belong to Marvel comics. I am not doing  
this to make any money so please don't sue me!  
  
Ororo Monroe and a man solely know as Forge had been what some would call 'in love'  
for practically two years. He was a tall, dark knight that rode in on his gallant steed and saved  
her from herself so long ago. Ororo frequently found that the only presence available to destroy  
her strength was her own mind. Everyone of her best friends had taken their frequent turns  
saving her from her own ways. Yet after Forge had arrived on the scene their duties were no  
longer necessary. He completed the holes in her spirit in their entirety. This Cheyenne man, who  
remained mysterious, even to the woman that loved him.  
After the arrival of their one year and six month anniversary Forge proposed to Ororo and  
amidst her tears she accepted. They had agreed to be wed on the one year anniversary of this  
proposal. As the six month marker of their engagement approached he was finding it harder and  
harder to live with this woman he had once so deeply loved; his past was lurking around him in  
the shadows, and his future was crying out to him. He saw what he believed to be his destiny  
many nights in a row, and none of the visions included his lovely, and loved fiance. The month  
September was rapidly approaching the state of New York and with it came a beautiful, many  
colored fall...........  
"I cannot wear this, Jean. I look like a woman with albino features and a tan."  
"Ok ok ok. You can wear this instead."  
Jean pulled a beautiful red dress from Ororo's closet and zipped her into it. The neckline  
of the red silk dipped low on her chest, exposing most of her mocha skin. A dainty gold necklace  
rested perfectly in the crevice in her collar bone. The jagged hemline of the skirt revealed uneven  
and playful amounts of her long legs. The silver mane that normally fell over her shoulders had  
been tied up with a simple pair of oriental hair sticks and her earrings danced playfully on her  
ears. She allowed Jean to look her over one last time before she departed for the restaurant.  
He was waiting for her at the table. He was never a man to dressed up like Scott did to  
take Jean to her favorite restaurants, but she liked it that way. He looked like a hippie most of the  
time. He stood up as she approached the table, letting his lean but well toned form stretch and  
rise above her. An evergreen sweater covered his squared shoulders and a simple pair of khakis  
rested upon his legs. He had sleek black hair that he pulled off of his face and let fall in a neat  
ponytail down his back. He bit his bottom lip as she kissed him on the cheek.  
Her pale eyes were set in as much of a smile as her glimmering teeth and his dark orbs  
danced constantly over her. After they had ordered a bottle of white wine he became figety and  
revealed his dilemma.  
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, "I should probably get this over with as quickly as  
possible. It will be easier that way."  
"What will?" she took his large hand in hers before he pulled it away.  
After two more slow breaths his eyes popped open and began to dance once again, "I  
need to move to Arizona, Ororo. Something is waiting for me. I don't really know what just yet,  
but I won't be able to find it here in New York."  
"So, we're leaving? You didn't ask me, you just decided? What if I can't leave the  
academy?" she asked concern quickly bubbling in her voice.  
"You won't be confronted with that dilemma, Ororo. You won't be coming with me."  
"What? I'm just supposed to wait for you?"  
"No. I asked you to dinner tonight in order to retract my proposal. I am leaving on a nine  
o'clock flight. Whatever it is I'm looking for, I won't be able to find it with you."  
In one swift motion her heart had been removed from her body with one desensitizing  
slash.  
"Ororo, that energy, that life force which lives inside you is immeasurable by any means.  
You are a restless soul. I know that even if I know nothing else about you. A life that needs  
plenty space to roam. You are no match for an old man like me. I would never be able to keep up  
with you. Your spirit needs to run free. It cannot be tamed. Unless that is, if you forfeit. But you  
don't have it in you to give up. Find someone just as wild to run alongside you."  
With that he got up from the table, leaving money by the half empty bottle of alcohol.   
The goddess of the elements was left to her own thoughts and company again, with the freedom  
to fulfill her destiny. Alone. 


	2. The Woman in the Goddess

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 2: The Woman in the Goddess  
  
Summary: Five years after the departure of the man Ororo depended on she finds someone to  
lean on. Someone to fill that void in her life.  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me. They belong to Marvel. I am not doing this to  
make any money so please don't sue me!  
  
  
Five years had passed since Forge had left Ororo alone and she was now twenty seven  
years old. She had reached a peak of beauty, elegance and grace, and there was not a man in the  
mansion who had not given her a fraction of his heart. Although she had concealed most her  
beauty on a regular basis it was still evident. To Scott she was the companion, a friend to turn to  
in times of despair. Someone who was always there for him, no matter what. To Hank she was  
the intellectual equal, a person to exchange riddles and intelligent conversation with. To Charles  
she was the daughter blossoming before his eyes and growing into her own being. To Logan she  
was an untouchable beauty, that possessed more power than most realized but camouflaged it  
under a mask of tranquil, unalterable radiance. A goddess. And to the new comer on the team, a  
young man by the name of Remy LeBeau, she was a teacher, a woman and most importantly a  
friend.  
Ororo being the woman that she was had female friends lying in Jean and Kitty but found  
it easier to get along with the men in the mansion. They became her closest friends quickly and  
there was never a moment that she longed for female companionship instead.  
Ororo was sipping her coffee in the kitchen with Scott on a sunny Saturday morning  
when Remy entered the scene. He was three years her junior, and the person most would call  
Ororo's best friend.  
"Bonjour, belle."  
"Good morning, Remy," she greeted him without even glancing up from the paper. "Why,  
may I ask, do you have such a smug grin on your face?"  
"Ma belle, you know Remy too well."  
Scott got up from the table and exited the kitchen, knowing a conversation between the  
two was not something one often cared to witness, let alone stomach.  
"Why are you smiling, then, Remy?"  
"Because you are going to come dancing with me tonight, femme."  
A small smile spread across her face, "What makes you think that?"  
He approached the table and, with his index finger, pulled the newspaper away from  
concealing her face.  
"How could you say no to me?"  
"Like this. No."  
"You need a night out, mon chere. Come with me."  
She looked straight into his eyes letting him know she would not budge an inch on the  
topic.  
"Say yes."  
"Oh alright, I could use a night out."  
" Ah'll pick you up at seven."  
He walked away in his torn jeans and white t-shirt with an unshaven face and disheveled  
hair, and suddenly Ororo wondered what she had gotten herself into.  
It took her two hours to get ready that evening. She had put her hair up in fat rollers so it  
fell over her shoulders in loose, wavy locks. After careful consideration about her outfit she  
chose an extremely tight, extremely short black dress and a pair of strappy two inch high heels.  
She was going to accentuate her long legs in every way possible considering the compliments he  
consistently gave her on them. She decided to put a sheer, button down black dress shirt on over  
her dress to add a little something more. A khaki green eyeliner framed her thick lashes and a  
matte plum lipstick perfected her pout. Even though she continuously told herself it was only  
Remy, she could not help caring about every little detail of her appearance.  
At seven sharp a loud knock was heard on her door and she answered it with a smile. She  
was astonished at what she saw. Remy's dark hair was neatly combed and pulled off his face and  
the deep red highlights were clearly visible throughout. He had a freshly shaven face, revealing in  
al it's glory his extremely chiseled jaw line and his half smile sparkled a bright white. His black  
pants were neatly pressed and hung perfectly on him. He wore a cream colored V-neck sweater,  
that sat neatly on his brad shoulders and followed the line of his body down to the tapered waist.  
Rather than his usual worn out trench coat a shining leather coat finished the outfit.  
"Evenin', belle." Remy was pleased by he appearance. It was relieving to see her dressing  
like a twenty-seven year old woman rather than a modest school teacher.  
A small whisper escaped her lips in the words "Hello, Remy."  
He offered her his arm and the two departed down the hallway.  
Logan and Jubilee were sitting in the kitchen as the two reached the door. Logan stared in  
amazement at Ororo. He had never seen her look like she did in that instant.  
All Jubilee said was, "Wow. Storm's a babe!"  
Remy took Ororo to a small spot she had never heard of where they played Latin music  
until three o'clock in the morning. The place was hardly crowded and the two took the dance  
floor immediately. It didn't take Ororo long to notice that she was with the most attractive man,  
and best dancer in the club. It also didn't take her long to realize she was the envy of the other  
women in the club.  
Remy bought her a couple drinks and spun her around the dance floor more than enough  
times. Although it had been a long time since Ororo had been dancing she seemed to pick up the  
ability quickly enough and moved in excellent time with her partner. Actually, it was hard for  
her not to notice the perfect rhythm in which he swayed and moved his hips with hers to the  
Latin beats.  
At about one AM Ororo had decided she had done enough dancing for one night and  
Remy escorted her home. When they got into her dorm room she returned Remy's jacket (he had  
lent it to her to keep her warm in the fall air). The two then headed down to the uninhabited  
kitchen to make smoothies.  
"'Ro, Remy can' find any strawberries."  
Ororo had hopped up onto the island into the middle of the kitchen and had watched him  
on his scavenger hunt for fruit. Her skirt barely covered her crossed legs at all.   
"So, make them with raspberries instead."  
"Can' find those either." Remy popped his head back out of the fridge and closed the  
door. He couldn't help but notice the sight in front of him. "How 'bout a glass a water?"  
He handed her a glass with three ice cubes and full to the brim with water. She carefully  
traced her middle finger around the rim of the glass.   
He took the glass from her and placed it on the counter, "You need to loosen up, 'Ro.  
When was the last time you did anything spur 'o' the moment?"  
She looked up into his eyes. Those eyes that so many people found frightening but that  
she found loving and beautiful.   
Remy placed his hands on the small of her back and pulled her closer to his body, forcing  
her to uncross her legs. Before she understood what was happening his lips were on hers prying  
them open with great ease. She was kissing him back before she truly perceived anything at all.  
His hands caressed her thighs and eventually pushed their way under the hem of her minuscule  
skirt. Her hands ran through his hair and over the muscles in his back and sides. The ripples in  
his muscles were easily noticed through his undershirt since he had discarded his sweater upon  
their arrival in the mansion.  
With great ease Remy lifted Ororo into his arms and carried her up to his room. She  
removed Remy's shirt and looked before her at what seemed to be a carefully sculpted work. She  
daintily sat down on the bed and he sat down behind her. Gently he removed the shirt that rested  
over her dress and in a slow and careful motion he unzipped the long zipper that ran from the  
nape of her neck to the small of her back. He placed warm kisses on her neck and along her  
spine. He moved the straps of her dress off her arms and softly kissed her shoulders and  
collarbone. He lay her down on the bed before him and began to kiss her entire chest.  
Remy made Ororo feel so desired that night. What Ororo needed more than anything else  
was to feel desirable. And for a person who must maintain a certain degree of control at all times  
she let her emotions run wild that night. Remy managed to revive the spirit that had become  
locked away and faded upon Forge's departure . He brought back the woman in the goddess.  
Although the friends never pursued a relationship after that night neither minded at all.  
What had happened between them had happened and neither was bound to forget it. Shortly after  
their night together a young girl by the name of Rogue arrived at the mansion and Remy fell for  
her instantly. Ororo knew it from the first signs. She happily let him chase after the girl and let  
their friendship grow apart. They remain close friends to this day, but not as close as they once  
were. Remy LeBeau played an important role in Ororo's life but his importance faded like the all  
other men she had known. But he had rekindled a life force in his friend that would become a  
vital part of her as the years passed by. And without knowing he had opened the door for a new  
man to walk into her life. 


	3. One with Nature

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 3: One with Nature  
  
Summary: This is the starting point of where our story truly takes off!  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, they belong to Marvel! I am not doing this to  
make any money so please don't sue me!  
  
  
  
Ororo Monroe turned thirty-two years old and in the last decade had grown from a young,  
stupid girl into a mature and poised woman. The power she possessed ran like a river down in  
the depths of her soul and was a source as wild as a thunderbolt. Yet she kept it concealed in a  
shell of serene beauty. Although she was truly a woman and felt things like all women do, she  
remained an undisturbed, quiet, graceful goddess for all to see. The many diverse elements of  
nature were at one with her and like them she had numerous pieces forming her being.  
She had wandered out onto the property searching for Logan at sundown. The red orb just  
barely skimmed the tree tops and long shadows were languidly cast across the land before her.  
For a brief moment she stopped, shut her eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in her surroundings in  
their entirety.  
"Can I help ya, 'Ro?" Logan stepped out of the shadows and into Ororo's line of vision.  
"Hello, Logan," she didn't bother to open her eyes as she greeted her friend.  
"Whaddaya want?"  
Ororo's eyes fluttered open and she turned to face him. He stood in front of her wearing  
only a pair of black athletic pants and suddenly Ororo forgot what she had come to find him for  
in the first place.  
"What do you do when you escape out here?" she asked instead.  
"Calm down. Keeps me from kicking the Cajun's skull in."  
A small smile crept across her face.  
Approximately two years ago Logan had taught Ororo to meditate and connect with  
nature in a way she could never have on her own. Although her powers had developed during  
adolescence she was having difficulty balancing with the elements. She had gotten intense  
headaches and attacks when nature's balance was thrown off, but shortly after Logan's teaching  
she functioned on days when she would have otherwise been locked in her bedroom or in the  
hospital wing.   
"Do you remember.....?" her voice faded off into nothingness.  
He smiled simply and nodded. She slipped off her sandals and stood next to him in her  
white tank top and baby blue terry cloth pants. Both shut their eyes and Ororo stood right in front  
of Logan. They began to move through a Thai-Chi exercise Logan had once taught her to relieve  
stress and calm the mind. They moved in complete unison, neither one missing a single beat.  
Movement flowed through both people and poured out form their very beings.   
When the exercise was finished they slowly opened their eyes to the world that had gone  
from orange to blue. Ororo gave Logan one of her best smiles and quietly slipped her sandals on.  
No words were exchanged at all but the bond was there and they both knew what the other was  
thinking.  
Ororo turned and soundlessly sauntered back to the mansion. She had gotten a good  
distance away when she turned and looked back to where Logan was still working. His long,  
fluid movements were often disturbed by short, quick ones. He was the only other person who  
understood what it meant to be so in tune with nature. He understood her. She didn't know  
exactly what to think right then but she watched Logan until it became to dark to see him through  
the trees.  
Logan stopped and watched the bouncing silver tresses shine brilliantly in the iridescent  
moonlight and fade as they danced through the back door. 


	4. Almost Doesn't Count

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 4: Almost Doesn't Count  
  
Summary: When two friends get close to becoming more, a barricade forms in their way.   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they are property of Marvel! I am not doing this  
for anything more than pure fun, so please don't sue me! Holden Caulfield, and THE  
CATCHER IN THE RYE are property of J.D. Salinger and his estate. I think. I just love this  
book and what symbol they have in this story. I am not using them for monetary purposes! Don't  
hurt me!  
  
  
Ororo woke up to the sweet sound of silence that morning. The entire academy had taken  
a field trip and Logan and Ororo were the only instructors able to get out of their chaperoning  
duties. After waking up late and taking a nice refreshing shower she got dressed. Not truly being  
in the mood to wear everyday clothing she put on a pair of extra large, plaid pajama pants, a back  
tank top, and a very grandma-esque white cardigan. While her hair was still wet she pulled it  
back into a thick ponytail, all except to stubborn strands that framed her face. She slipped on a  
pair of thick socks and headed down to the kitchen.  
Logan was sitting at the table reading the paper and smoking a cigar, a cup of black  
coffee getting cold in front of him.  
"So, you're finally up?" he glanced over his paper, "Oh, great get up 'Ro."  
" I thought so," she said with a slight smirk. She poured herself a cup of steaming coffee,  
and after adding four creams and three packets of equal she curled up on the window seat,  
glancing out into the trees.   
"I don' know how you can drink that crap, 'Ro."  
"Very easily, thank you. I cannot help it if you like to drink it pitch black."   
" 's the only way TO drink it."  
Once again she gazed off into the orange and yellow world outside her window, "When  
will the others be returning?"  
"Not too sure. Probably not till pretty late. They're pretty far away 'n' it's s'posed ta rain  
tonite."  
Getting the shivers she asked him "Why, Logan, is it so cold in here?"  
"Heater broke. The Cajun 'n' I are s'posed ta fix it when they get back. You 'n' I both  
know how well that'll go."  
All she could do was simply smile. After finishing her coffee she wandered off to the  
library, where she lit the fireplace and curled up in a bean bag chair, with a good book, hoping to  
warm up. It had been years since she had Salinger's THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, and she  
found no more opportune time to begin again. It was on the shelf with the numerous other books  
Hank and Jean had reserved for their classes.  
About an hour later Logan wandered into the library to see that Ororo had fallen asleep.  
The fire had gone out and black whirls of smoke drifted up the chimney. He removed the book  
that was dangling in her hands and placed it on the table nearby. Then, as gently as possible, he  
lifted her off her small, but comfortable resting place, and carried her into the parlor. He could  
only wonder why, it seemed, that all this strong woman could do was sleep. He also couldn't help  
but notice how delicate and lovely she looked while sleeping. After packing her into a cocoon of  
quilts, he let her sleep on the couch. She woke up just at dinner time.   
The rain pouring down from the skies was endless. It fell on the roof like nails and hit the  
windows in large, pounding drops. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted from the kitchen, to her  
nose, and she drifted towards it with a patchwork quilt draped over her shoulders like a cape.  
"What are you cooking, Logan?"  
"Dinner." Judging by the shocked expression on her face he made an assumption and  
added, " I can actually do some stuff for myself, 'Ro."  
"I can see that."  
The two sat at the kitchen table eating a mild dinner of scrambled eggs, bacon and hash  
browns. They talked continuously, never letting a single moment of silence interrupt. Neither  
Ororo or Logan could remember laughing so much in so long. Actually, Ororo could not  
remember hearing Logan laugh that much ever.  
She offered to do the dishes and told him to go have a drink or do something along those  
lines. He heard the sounds of Aretha Franklin pour through the hallway and he headed back to  
the kitchen, where he found Ororo dancing and mouthing the words into the scrub brush.  
When the song finished Logan was leaning against the doorframe, clapping for her.  
"Very nice, 'Ro. Didn' know ya had it in ya!"  
"How long have you been standing there?"  
"Long enough."  
There wasn't even anything to say to him. She had made a complete idiot out of herself  
and was thoroughly embarrassed. All Logan could think about was how adorable she was.  
"Kitty gave me her recipe for hot chocolate before she left," she said hastily. "Give me  
one second to make some and I will meet you in the parlor."  
A few minutes later she joined him on the couch. They looked quite a pair, her wearing  
warm, baggy clothes and a quilt and he only jeans and a t-shirt. They both sipped from extra large  
mugs of hot chocolate. Ororo had taken it upon herself to add plenty of whipped cream to the  
tops. Logan tried to signal to her that she had gotten some on her bottom lip, but after numerous  
failed efforts he gingerly brushed it off with his thumb. If there had ever been a silence between  
the two, it was nothing compared to this. Their faces were just about touching and they were both  
slowly inching into a kiss, when the doorbell rang.  
"I'll get it," Ororo hopped off the couch and bolted for the door.  
She opened it with a smile, but when the soaking wet figure behind the door was  
revealed, she dropped her mug shattering it on the floor and spraying hot chocolate at her feet.  
"Hello, Ororo." 


	5. Return to the Mind's Graveyard

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 5: Return to the Mind's Graveyard  
  
Summary: An old acquaintance returns to Ororo's life and thoroughly shakes the foundations she  
had started to build.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to Marvel! I am not doing this to  
make any money so please don't sue me!  
  
  
"Forge."  
"May I come in?" he asked her, the usual bright smile spreading across his face.  
"Uh, uh, uh, uh, yes," she stammered and cleared the doorway so he could enter.  
"Ah, hello, Logan," Forge extended his hand in a very friendly gesture. Logan, being the  
kind and mature individual that the was, glared and growled at him.  
Ororo showed Forge to a guestroom and let him organize his suitcase and dry off. She  
then headed to the kitchen to make a pot of tea.   
"Why are ya welcoming that goddam SOB right back in here? Ya shoulda slammed the  
door in his face."  
First she gasped at the sound of the voice hidden in the dark. After flipping the light  
switch she responded, "Two wrongs don't make a right."  
"Oh, very original."  
"Logan, it's pouring out. I will not send him away."  
"No, ya should knee 'em in the nuts, then kick his sorry ass out."  
"Logan--"   
"If yer gonna play housemaid ta that fucker, I'm outta here."  
Having said that, he grabbed his coat and slammed the front door.   
"Where did Logan go?" Forge's still crooning voice reached her ears. The ponytail that  
used to stream jet black was now streaked with silver. He had grown a longer mustache, the same  
shade as his hair. He was fifty-four years old now and he was showing it, even though his  
elongated figure was not at all effected.   
"I never know with him. I never try to know. Tea?"  
"Yes. Please."  
" So how long has it been? A decade?" she asked as though she had actually forgotten.  
"Yes. And might I say, Ororo, you are more beautiful now than when I left you."  
The teenager tucked away in the back of her mind blushed at his compliment. Although  
she hated to say it, part of her still cared for him.  
"What have you been doing for ten years?" she asked earnestly. Her curiosity had gotten  
the better of her.  
" After I left New York I traveled to Arizona, where I worked in a Treatment Center for  
mutants. When hospital wouldn't take them in they would come to us and we would do the best  
we could for them. My background and abilities as a Medicine Man truly developed in that year.  
It was so revitalizing to tap into my heritage again. After leaving the clinic I took a three year trip  
through all of Mexico, helping those when possible. After that I spent two years in Switzerland  
studying with some of the greatest men of our time. Biology, Chemistry, Physics, you name it,  
we analyzed it. Then, for two years, I lived on a ranch in Texas. It was miles from anyone else  
and I wrote long into the nights. It is amazing what you find out about yourself when they only  
living beings within twenty miles are horses. I was then informed that the clinic I was originally  
employed at had gone into underground hiding and returned to help them for those last two years.  
I swear to you, Ororo, that we are vividly reliving the Salem Witch Trials."  
After Forge had finished his explanation of the last decade Ororo filled him in on what  
her life had been like without him in it for the last ten years. She conveniently forgot to mention  
her significant relationships with the men of the mansion, specifically Logan.  
"Take my advice, Ororo, there is no better way to discover oneself, than to take time off  
and see what you want to see of the world. Do what you've been waiting to do. I know exactly  
who I am now, and that is a rare thing amongst people like us. Take the time to find yourself."  
Ororo headed to bed, his statement churning over and over in her head. Self discovery?  
Arizona? Switzerland? Had Forge always been so inflated and boring and she had never noticed  
it? 


	6. The New Arrival

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 6: The New Arrival  
  
Summary: Logan returns to the mansion to greet his new student.  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, they belong to Marvel, so please don't sue  
me! I am only doing this for fun!  
  
  
"Hello, Logan? Right?"  
"Yeah. So, I hear you know what you're doin'? Do ya?"  
"I do have a very formal background in martial arts."  
"Well, whatever ya learned before may not help ya here. Got it!"  
"Yes," the young girl swallowed hard in an attempt to moisten her suddenly parched  
throat.  
She stood before Logan, her new instructor in the deadly arts not looking quite as young  
as she truly was. She had just turned twenty-four and she had a long, lean, but muscular form.  
Her amethyst cat eyes gleamed brightly under the frame of thick black fringe. There was a  
mysterious beauty to her, as if she were always hiding her thoughts behind her porcelain face.  
Cascades of wavy violet hair toppled down to the small of her back and framed her face with  
layers.   
"What's your name again?" Logan grumbled.  
"Betsy. Betsy Braddock."  
Logan had taken on a pupil for Charles' sake. He was not always patient with people, but  
for this young girl he would try.  
Their first lesson began in the training room. She was fast, but he was faster. In about a  
half hour (she put up a very good fight) he had her pinned to the ground.  
"I told ya not to turn away for even a second. You'd be dead."  
"That's what you think," in two swift motions she got the very heavy Wolverine off her  
sat straddling him with her hands around his throat. "I am not as stupid as you may think," she  
smirked at him.  
"I never said you were stupid," he gasped. With one motion she was back on the floor and  
his face was barely an inch away from hers. "I said you were inexperienced."  
Betsy closed her eyes seeing no way to get out of the jam she had gotten herself into.  
He let her up and told her they would be doing the same thing tomorrow. Betsy in her  
sweaty and sticky state started to head for the showers when, as she got just out of his sight,  
stopped and turned around to see Logan start his own exercises. He had removed the shirt he had  
been wearing while working with Betsy and started to go through the same routine Ororo had  
watched only nights ago. Betsy watched his skin glisten, his muscles ripple and his  
surroundings become one with him. She stood transfixed.  
Ororo approached her from behind and saw what the girl was watching.  
"He knows what he is doing, child," she whispered. "You are in good hands."  
"I know," was all Betsy said in return as she headed for the showers.   
Forge had taken up residence in the mansion for an entire week now and every encounter  
Ororo had with him made her depressed. He was like an analytical, critical evaluation she had to  
go through everyday.  
"I'm glad to see that you are back, Logan."  
He had taken off the night of Forge's arrival and had not returned till that morning. His  
appointment with Chuck's new student was the only thing that brought him back to the mansion.  
"Yeah, well......." Logan's feelings for Ororo had gone through a dramatic transformation  
in a very short period of time. He wasn't completely sure he hadn't always felt like this for her,  
but the sound of her voice had become as sweet and necessary as the air he breathed yet that  
sweet air tore the breath from his body.   
"'Ro, why is he still here?"  
"Logan--"  
"No. Really? Why didn't ya kick his sorry ass out already?"  
"He has nowhere else to go."  
"He left you."  
"That doesn't mean I have to leave him stranded."  
"Oh yeah. I forgot. Ya suddenly wanted ta become the Mahatma."  
"Logan--"  
He didn't listen to anything else. He just exited the room. Leaving Ororo to her own  
thoughts. In all honesty there was nothing keeping Forge here. There was nothing preventing her  
from forcing him to pack his things and go. She didn't even really know that this was the only  
place he had to stay. But there was something. This small twitch at the back of her mind and in  
the pit of her stomach, that kept her from sending him on his way. Something that wanted this  
otherwise boring man to take her in his arms like he used to. If not only to prove that she was  
entirely cured of him.   
Ororo wandered out of the training room praying that she wouldn't run into anyone on the  
way back to her room. 


	7. A Decade Erased

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 7: A Decade Erased  
  
Summary: When your mind tells you one thing and your body tells you another, which do you  
choose?  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. They belong to Marvel. This is only being  
done for fun so please don't sue me.  
  
Forge rapped lightly on Ororo's door. It was midnight and the mansion was black with  
silence.   
"Yes?" she answered the door in her pajamas. This was simply a man's t-shirt that she  
had purchased at Target.  
"May I come in."  
"Oh. Of course."  
Crouching in the deep ebony cover of the shadows, Logan watched the man enter her  
room. His icy blue gaze never left the wooden paneling of her door, as if willing it to open.  
"What's wrong, Forge?" she asked in earnest.  
"I decided it was about time I revealed the true reason for my return."  
"Alright." Ororo was worried by his statement, but not so much as to be entirely  
suspicious.   
"I missed your laugh."  
She spun around to face him as he slowly approached her.  
"I missed the way your earrings danced. I missed the way your eyes were so clear I could  
see through to your soul." He bent down, took her limp hand in his own firm grip, and gently  
pressed his warm lips to her skin. "I missed the soft feel of you." He took her in his arms and  
planted a kiss firmly upon her lips. "I missed the taste of you."  
She stood stunned. Nothing. Crickets possibly, but nothing more than that. Then came the  
explosion.  
"YOU CAN"T DO THIS! You cannot leave a person stranded and wander the planet for  
a decade and expect to come right back where you left off! NOTHING works that way. It has  
been a decade. A DECADE! I was a young girl when you left me. I am NOT that stupid  
anymore!"  
He stood stone silent and shut his eyes. After she had finished releasing her frustration his  
eyes fluttered open.   
He took his index finger and ran it along the inside of her bare, upper thigh. "Ororo, I  
know you ar angry, but hear me out."  
"I am not angry. I am over you. You have missed your chance. Your chance was ten years  
ago. The window has shut."  
His large hands smothered the small of her back as he pulled her closer to him. He kissed  
her again, this time prying her pliable lips open with his own. His tongue explored her mouth as  
if to bring back all the sweet memories they once shared. He pulled away and she had all but  
melted in his arms.  
"I know that I walked out on you so long ago. But that decision, though I still believe I  
did what I needed to, proved to be an awful one. Ororo, you need to take me back. I am nothing  
without you. There cannot be a worshiper if there is no Goddess."  
With that he began to kiss her again. Her mind resisted as her body complied. Her mind  
screamed continuously in anger and frustration as her body gave in to it's desires.   
They had quickly headed for Ororo's bedroom and reconciled things. They had made love  
and Ororo had remembered quickly her youth. He was unlike the other men she had been with.  
Remy, who had devoured her in his desire and made her feel womanly, made her grow up,  
revived her. Forge was nothing like that, he took her, but gently, as if not to break her fragile  
body. Then she could not help but wonder what Logan would be like. He was so entirely  
animalistic in his everyday life that she could not help thinking sex with him would be the same.  
A wild, passionate act, that would become an uncontrollable force.  
Her mind returned to the man she was with, and was happy to be with. Forge was  
something she needed, if only comfortable.  
He left her as she fell asleep that night, knowing that he had won her back. Africa would  
be easy now that he had her under his thumb again. 


	8. Against the Current

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 8: Against The Current  
  
Summary: Logan watches as the world he would has begun to love crashes around him, and he  
flails as he has nothing he can do about it.  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. They belong to Marvel Comics. I am not  
doing this for money, so please don't sue me!  
  
  
As Forge exited Ororo's room that night he ran right into Logan. His ears perked, Logan  
stood, statuesque, his body as hard as stone. He had heard everything and waited for Forge with  
barred teeth and a malicious stare.  
"What do you want, Logan?"  
"The only reason you came back for a quick 'n' easy lay?"  
"No. I came back to her because I am still in love with her."  
"BULL SHIT!" Logan kept his voice low but vehemently spat the words to him.  
"You don't understand her."  
"Like you do?"  
"I know that she is as powerful as a deity. She is above you and I, Logan."  
"Yeah, she is. But not 'cause she can make it rain. Her heart is big. She is the most  
beautiful woman I have ever seen. Yeah, ya can think of her as an idol, but she's a woman. With  
a woman's heart, mind and soul. Did ya think o' that?"  
Soft laughter escaped Forge's lips. "You love her, Wolverine."  
There was a short silence between the two and Logan's eyes went soft. It was  
immediately evident to Forge that he had found the soft spot in his opponent.  
"You don't deserve her," as soon as the words had escaped his malicious lips, the echoed  
in Logan's skull.  
"I know," was his solemn response. "But neither do you. Even less, I think."  
" Logan, you are simply an animal. You don't know what true love is. Only lust. Don't  
kid yourself."  
The knife pierced Logan's side and Forge began to descend the stairs.  
"You broke her heart. That girl. The one you loved, is dead. Hope yer not lookin' for her.  
Ororo's all grown up now. Ya can't boss her around like ya used ta."  
"That's what you think."  
"You gave up your chance. Get over it."  
"I forfeited nothing. It is up to Ororo to choose a.... Hmmm, how can I put this in terms  
you'll be able to understand? A mate. If she chooses me, then she chooses me. Logan, you are a  
human with the mind and heart of an animal. No woman can love that. Women wait for  
CIVILIZED men to whisk them off their feet. Men that ride white horses. Not men that sniff out  
prey. What could have possibly caused you to believe she would ever care for you?"  
Forge turned and walked down the hall. Just before he reached the turn he pivoted and  
made one last remark.  
"Even if she did care for you, Logan, you were to scared to confess your love to her. The  
man who confesses always wins the girl. Not the coward."  
Logan stood in silence, jaw clenched and temples pounding. The sick churning in his  
stomach was the sad realization that there may have been some truth in his words. That he was an  
animal. That he was a coward. With a low rumbling growl he made the decision to confront  
Ororo the next day.  
She was running through her total ab and thigh workout that she performed every other  
morning. Logan entered the gym and saw her in a baby blue sports bra and black pants with the  
same color stripe running down the sides. Her silver tresses were pulled up in a very sloppy  
ponytail at the top of her head. Numerous strands of hair fell about her neck and face, many  
sticking to her sweat coated skin. Halfway through her thigh beaters she became aware of his  
presence.  
Logan saw her approaching and saw her skin glisten in the light and he began to wonder  
how sweaty he could make her get. He was also very oblivious to the fact that, standing in his  
tight, white t-shirt and torn jeans, he was very sexy and appealing to her.   
"I heard you got back together with Forge last night?"  
"From who?"  
"No, I actually heard the two of you get back together."  
A sudden flush overtook Ororo's face.  
"Oh," she mumbled quickly.  
"Do you want to get walked all over? Are you the kind of person to wanna be a martyr?"  
"No, Logan. And quite frankly how is any of this your business?"  
Now was his chance. He knew it. The silent Forge listening outside the door knew it, and  
dreaded it.  
Her eyes were cold and closed off. Like two glaciers set in her face. Yet at the same time  
they were aflame with anger, awaiting his response. He stared into her eyes and saw the absence  
of the love he longed to see in them. She did see him as merely an animal, and not a lover. He  
was the loyal companion, but never the knight.   
"I guess it's not." His heart shattered and he wanted to scream out loud.   
"Goodbye, Logan."   
Her voice had warmed up as he slowly exited the gym. Forge had departed upon the signs  
of his 'cowardice'. He walked away from the dream. The fantasy he had held onto for months.  
He gave up on swimming against the current. What he had wanted had always been out of reach  
and he stopped trying to grasp it. She did not want anyone, she wanted Forge. What he didn't  
know was how badly she wanted him to give her a reason to leave Forge lying in the dust. 


	9. Kenya and Kisses

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 9: Kenya and Kisses  
  
Summary: Forge makes an offer that conflicts Ororo even more and Logan attempts to help her  
make her decision.  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, the belong to Marvel! I am only doing this for  
fun, so please don't sue me!  
  
Ororo walked into her bedroom draped in a fluffy pink bath towel and fuzzy slippers. She  
had just wiped the layer of sweat clean off her skin. To her amazement Forge was sitting on her  
bed. He hungrily watched her as she changed and began to brush her wet, metallic looking  
tresses.  
Exasperated he eventually breathed, "Ororo, I might as well reveal my reason for being  
here."  
A smile on her face, she responded, "Alright. What is it?"  
"Ororo, please don't take this the wrong way," her gaze in the mirror became stern at his  
words. "I would like to go and help the people of Kenya. The men I worked with in Arizona are  
arranging a trip there. We would all love to have you on our team. I don't want to leave you  
again."  
"Forge, this is so sudden. I don't think I could leave the team....."  
"Ororo, come with me. Please."  
"I don't know. I..." her thoughts were running like mad.   
Forge could see the signs of doubt in her every movement. He could not risk the chance  
of her refusing. He decided he'd have to do what he had only considered in desperate situations.  
"Come with me, Ororo," he pleaded with her, "And marry me."  
That caught her attention in just the way he thought it would. Her eyes grew wide and  
she dropped her hairbrush onto her dresser.  
"What?" the word barely escaped her lips. "You want me to marry you?"  
"Yes. I still want you to be the person I wake up next to for the rest of my life, and this  
time I will not leave you."  
"I am not sure, Forge. This is a huge decision and I need time."  
"I am leaving in a week, Ororo."  
"I will tell you before you have to leave. I promise."   
Logan sat in the large leather armchair that night. The roaring fire cast a warm glow  
across him and his newspaper. She soundlessly slipped into the room behind him, but he caught  
her entrance anyway.  
"Evening, 'Ro."  
"Good evening, Logan."  
"What's wrong, 'Ro? Don't try ta lie. I can sense it. Yer scared."  
She sprawled out on he couch next to him and confessed what was on her mind.   
"Forge asked me to marry him this evening, Logan. He wants me to move to Kenya with  
him."  
"WHAT?!?!?!" he roared and jumped out of his seat. "And what'll happen ta your kids.  
Does he want 'em ta die of AIDS or some shit? KENYA! Goddam it! It's in the middle of  
fuckin' nowhere! Why the hell would ya marry that GODDAM, MOTHER FUCKIN', HOLIER  
THAN THOU, SON OF A BITCH!! Are you outta yer fuckin' mind?"   
Two subtle sobs escaped her lips and inside she prayed to the Goddess that he did not  
hear them. But he did. Urgently, he spun on his heels and saw the tears streaming down her face,  
and his heart melted into nothing.   
He raced over to the couch and cautiously sat down beside her.  
"I'm sorry, 'Ro."  
She didn't respond, she only looked at the hardwood floor and antique carpet. She was  
afraid that if she did speak, her crying would become much more evident.  
"How did ya want me to act?"  
Her tearful gaze met his and amidst the sadness there was that fire, "You could have been  
happy for me." She then returned her gaze to the floor, "I know you don't like him....."  
She stopped speaking as his hand rested gently upon her face and brought her eyes back  
to meet his own. His middle and ring fingers rested lightly behind her ear and his radiant blue  
eyes apologized to her.  
"I'm sorry," his voice escaped his lips in a soft tone, though it remained low and raspy.  
"But how did you expect me to act, when the woman I fell for tells me she's marrying some other  
lucky idiot?"  
Astonished, her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly, leaving her mouth somewhat  
agape. He leaned in and pressed his warm lips to hers and, though bewildered at first, she  
responded and wrapped her arms around his neck. The taste of her tears lingered slightly on her  
otherwise sweet lips and he pressed her lean form close to him. She had never felt the rush she  
felt now when she was with Forge. Not even when they made love. She clung to him, as he was  
the only solid thing in the room, and savored every kiss. When they finally broke apart, they  
each rapidly tried to catch their breath, but do so silently.  
"Goodnight, Logan," she barely ran her fingertips down the inside of his thigh and stood  
up. She smiled brightly at him and headed for the stairs.  
He made sure to examine her every move, each one graceful and elegant. He did love her.  
Now he had made sure that she knew it. There was no way he was about to let her walk out of his  
life and into Kenya with Forge.   
A smile was plastered from ear to ear on Ororo's face, she knew exactly what her  
response to Forge was going to be. 


	10. The Longest Night

Title: Goddess By:Satine16  
  
Chapter 10: The Longest Night  
  
Summary: This is Ororo's night. She tells Forge, speaks with Scott, and encounters Logan.   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to Marvel! I am only doing this for  
fun, so please don't sue me!!!!!  
  
  
Ororo entered the dimly lit room to see Forge reading a thick political book. He was  
laying sprawled out on the fainting couch and deeply enthraled in what he was reading. He lifted  
his eyes and smiled as he saw her.  
"Hello, my dear."  
"Forge, I need to speak with you."  
He knew. Those words had only one meaning, and having wielded them himself at one  
point, he knew what was coming next. He also knew he had to stop her from making that  
decision.  
"Alright, speak to me, Ororo."  
She sat down on the couch next to him and began, "I cannot go to Kenya with you, Forge.  
I was madly in love with you as a girl. I would have followed you to the ends of the earth. Now I  
am a grown woman. I wish to stay here."  
"Ororo," he started, a pleading tone in his voice and desperate look in his eyes, "They  
need you there. There is a drought in Kenya now. People are dying. You are the only person I  
know that has the ability to save them. I need you there. This hunger inside me can only be  
satisfied when I'm with you. When I can taste you."  
"I wish I could help...."  
"You CAN. Just come with me."  
The taste of Logan's kisses lingered as she licked her lips. Forge leaned in to kiss her and  
their lips met. His kisses were soft and gentle. Logan's were hungry and passionate. All that she  
could think was that she didn't want to be here. She wanted Logan. He wanted her.  
Abruptly pulling away from the kiss, Ororo breathed, "It's over, Forge. Pack your bags. I  
want you to be out of here by tomorrow."  
A bitter glare met her eyes and he spat, "This is because of Logan. Is it not?"  
She couldn't meet his glare, she only stared at the painting on the wall.   
"I see. You know he'll only betray you. Leave you for a younger, sexier woman. A girl."  
Her head spun around and she met his hard stare. "You don't know him," she almost  
growled at him.  
"I see he's gotten to you already. I do know him. He's a man. But he has the drive of an  
animal. He will never commit to you. You only dream he will."  
She towered above his sitting figure as she rose. Her long white strands thrown about her  
shoulders and her eyes infused with a furious spark. A spark that begged to be set free.  
"Goodnight and goodbye."  
"If you won't come for me, come for the children. They are dying in masses. They need  
help. I don't know anyone but you that can help them."   
She inhaled deeply and remembered the information he had given her that afternoon. The  
pictures of dying families and starving children. It pierced her soft heart and weakened her.   
"Alright, I'll go for a couple months. Not for you. For the children."   
She sauntered out of the room and headed for the kitchen. She saw Scott eating a  
doughnut and watching The Tonight Show when she entered. The fury and sorrow left her heart  
and she warmed on the inside. He was her oldest and dearest friend, and she loved him like a  
brother.  
"Hello, Scott."  
"Hey, 'Ro," he shut off the television at her entrance. "Doughnut?"  
She put up her hand and shook her head, but poured herself a cup of lukewarm tea and sat  
across from him. She seemed distant. Scott knew her too well and could see that there was  
definitely something bothering her.  
"What's wrong, Ororo?"  
She explained the entire dilemma to him. Forge's return, and the revival of their romance.  
The offer to go to Kenya and fight the drought. Logan's kisses and confession. Her last encounter  
with Forge. He absorbed it all and finally responded.   
"This surprises you?"  
"Excuse me?" she became all too confused at his comment.  
"You're in shock that two men are fighting for you. Jesus. You'd be able to add Remy to  
the list if Rogue hadn't walked into the picture. I'd be on there too if it wasn't for Jean."  
"WHAT?!?"  
"Don't get me wrong, I love my wife dearly, but you are a goddess in most men's eyes.  
You are tall, and beautiful. You've got a vast mind and a tremendous heart. Some guy would  
have to be stupid not to fall for you."  
"There was never anything between the two of us, Scott."  
"I wanted there to be. I was crazy about you when we were in class together. I would have  
given up my car to date you."  
A smile crossed her face as she remembered the beat up rust-mobile Scott drove at  
seventeen. For some reason there was always a hubcap in the back seat. Ororo never could quite  
figure out why. But he loved that car more than anything.  
"I still consider you to be my oldest and one of my closest friends," he finished warmly.  
At that point a very pregnant Jean wandered into the room.  
"Scott, I can't get upstairs," she looked as if she was about to cry.  
"Come on sweetie," he winked at Ororo and raced over to Jean. Placing one hand on the  
small of her back and taking her hand in the other, he walked down the corridor.  
Ororo went to the sink, disposed of the tea and turned to walk up the stairs but stopped  
dead in her tracks at the sight of Logan.  
"Yer leavin for Africa."  
"It is still a possibility."  
He nodded and walked to the fridge and grabbed a beer. He dropped down into a chair  
and popped the top off.  
"Don't expect me to be happy for you."  
"I don't. And wouldn't."  
"Goddam it, 'Ro. Why do you let him do that to you?"   
"Do what to me, Logan?'  
"Manipulate you."  
"I am going to help the children. I am not going to be with him."  
"You are going to help the kids, but you'll be with him 24/7 and then you'll fall for him  
again. He knows it too."  
"I am my own person, Logan," she walked over window bench and sat down, leaning  
against the wall."What is so bad about being in love anyway?"  
Logan stood up and sat down next to her.  
"He'll never kiss you like this," he took his large hands and rested them on the small of  
her back and in one motion pulled her to him, knocking the air from her lungs and letting her  
stomach flip flop. He kissed her again and again and she quickly responded. His stubble felt  
rough against her smooth skin and his kisses were hard, feverish and insatiable. Heat poured   
from his every move and she felt her body temperature rise with every touch. His hand slipped  
under her t-shirt and roamed over the smooth skin of her back and then came around to the front,  
grazing her breast lightly and causing her to gasp into the kiss. Responding to her, he began to  
kiss the nape of her neck and still let his hands roam, allowing her to be a little more vocal. He  
loved the feel of her soft skin but knew in the depths of his mind, he had to stop. He wasn't going  
to go any further. Immediately, he broke the contact and just stared into her eyes. The ravenous  
look in his otherwise clear, ocean blue eyes let her know how badly he wanted her. Slowly, he  
licked his lips and softly brushed them over her own one last time. He got up from the bench and  
walked away, leaving her in a daze.  
As he left he made one last comment, "Have fun in Africa." 


	11. Through Another's Eyes

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 11: Through Another's Eyes   
  
Summary: Logan acted rather....interestingly at the end of Ch. 10. This is why. It is the rest of the  
night through his eyes.  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, the belong to Marvel. This is fun for me, I am  
not doing it for money. Please don't sue me! I'm broke anyway.  
  
  
He did it. He told her and it felt as if a ten ton weight had been lifted off his chest and he  
could breathe again. What made it all so wonderful was that she kissed him back. His affections  
were not wasted on her, she truly returned the feelings.   
Logan could not help but smile as he read his book, or at least attempted to read his book,  
because couldn't stop thinking about her. They way she looked, the way she felt, the way she  
smelled, the way she tasted. For about a half hour all of those thoughts whirred in his mind,  
leaving him in a happy daze. A natural sort of high. Then came the voice from behind him.  
"I understand you have freed yourself from your cowardice, Wolverine."   
It was cold and bating. Malevolent and bitter. It was Forge.  
Logan rose from his chair and turned to face the man who had jeopardized the one thing  
he truly loved. He was the threat. What Logan never considered was that he was just as much of a  
threat to Forge.   
"I told her how I felt. It ain't a crime, ya know."   
"No it's not. The crime is the fact that she is going to flat out reject you now."  
"Only in your dreams, bud."  
"You think she'd choose you after I gave her a speech about the starving orphans in  
Africa. Hmmm..starving, dying children, or Logan? Which would you choose if you were in her  
shoes?"  
A growl hummed in Logan's throat and his lips separated slightly to reveal his clenched  
teeth.   
"Ya really don't have any morals, do ya?" Logan snarled at him.  
" I do what I have to for the causes that I see fit. You never thought I was going to let you  
win, Wolverine. What kind of battle would that be?"  
Forge turned on his heels and left the room feeling much better than when he had entered  
it. The little matches he had with Logan were all too entertaining for him, because he thought  
that he would always win.  
Logan decided that night that he was no longer going to be nice. If Forge was going to  
play hard, he could play harder. The gentle murmurs of discussion between Scott and Jean as  
they ascended the stairway caught Logan's attention, and it drew his notice to Ororo being alone  
in the kitchen. A small smile came across his lips but he replaced it with a scowl and entered the  
dimly lit room.  
He entered and saw Ororo dumping some old tea into the sink and as she turned to exit  
she saw him, stopped cold and her eyes widened to the size of saucers.  
"Yer leavin for Africa."  
"It is still a possibility."  
He nodded and walked to the fridge and grabbed a beer. He dropped down into a chair  
and popped the top off. Every movement he made had a purpose. If anything he wanted to prove  
to her that he would never let her go without a protest.  
"Don't expect me to be happy for you."  
"I don't. And wouldn't."  
"Goddam it, 'Ro. Why do you let him do that to you?"   
"Do what to me, Logan?'  
"Manipulate you," he words were cold and he saw her shudder slightly at the comment.  
"I am going to help the children. I am not going to be with him," there was a stubborn  
tone in her voice. He knew then not to reprimand her and belittle her pride.   
"You are going to help the kids, but you'll be with him 24/7 and then you'll fall for him  
again. He knows it too."  
"I am my own person, Logan," she walked over window bench and sat down, leaning  
against the wall."What is so bad about being in love anyway?" the far off, sweet, but sultry tone  
in her voice was his cue.  
He sat and turned towards her, and when they made eye contact he quickly whispered in a  
very low voice, "He'll never kiss you like this."  
He grabbed her on the small of her back and pulled her into him, a sudden rush over  
taking his body. He pressed his lips to hers and quickly felt her response. His hands glided under  
her small t-shirt and roamed over her endless amounts of soft flesh. As he lightly brushed her  
breast she gasped and her knew it was working. Instantly, he moved on to her long neck and  
feasted there as she drew in rather noisy breaths and ran her hands over his shoulders and upper  
back. He let his kisses wander all over her collarbone and the portion of her cleavage that was  
uncovered from her t-shirt. When his had reached the clasp of her bra he realized that it had  
begun to go too far and that he did not want to do this as part of his plan. He stopped right then  
and Ororo looked deep into his eyes, truly confused by what had happened.  
He did want her, and he wanted her to know that. Slowly, he licked his lips and gently  
brushed them across hers one last time.   
He could smell that he was leaving her just as he had wanted to.  
The more cruel side of him escaped as he left her to herself, in the dark kitchen, and he  
called back to her, "Have fun in Africa." A small, but nasty, smile crept across his lips and the  
faint hope that she come looking for him later kept him going. His plan would work. 


	12. WAR

Title: Goddess By:Satine16  
  
Chapter 12: WAR  
  
Summary: The deep twisted depths of Logan and Forge's minds have formed an all out battle  
over who will WIN with Ororo's decision. Little do they know, there is a third person in the  
mansion ready to play mind games.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They belong to Marvel. Please don't sue me!  
  
  
  
It was one o'clock in the morning and Logan was working of some of the 'extra tension'  
he had accumulated in his encounter with Ororo. He had been lifting weights for the last twenty  
minutes and set the treadmill to run for another twenty. Pure hard rock was blaring through the  
gigantic speakers in the underground gym, and even with his advanced hearing, Logan couldn't  
have heard any awkward noises. The fact that there was no fear of waking anyone upstairs was  
the only thing that led him to let his music pound at this time of the morning. He thought he was  
the only one awake. He thought wrong.  
Someone lurked on the other side of the door. Unnoticed a hand, with beautifully shaped  
and painted nails, turned down Logan's music to off. Puzzled by the sudden stop, Logan shut  
down the treadmill and stepped off. He turned to approach the other room and saw her standing  
there.   
A sultry smile was spread across Betsy's face. She had on a pair of black stretch pants  
and a track top, that had a zipper running from her navel through what would have been the turtle  
neck of the shirt. But she had unzipped it so that there was a generous amount of her breasts  
showing.  
Her violet eyes sparkled and in a captivating tone she greeted him, "Good morning,  
Logan."  
"What are you doing here, kid?"  
"What do you think I'm doing?" she walked over to him and smiled a half smile.  
He was honestly and completely puzzled at this point. With his obsession with Ororo,  
Logan failed to notice that his newest pupil had developed quite a romantic interest in him.  
She pressed her plump and supple lips to his but he pushed her away.  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" at this point, he had decided he knew  
absolutely nothing.  
"Why do you chase after her, Logan? I'm right here."  
She slowly unzipped her top and let him take in the view before him.  
She kissed him again, and this time, out of pure need, Logan responded. He had only had  
Ororo briefly and she had never, truly, wanted him to initiate anything like this. He needed to be  
with someone. Aynyone.  
Before he could really conceptualize the situation, he had removed her top and had her  
lying below him on one of the gym mats. His lips ran over her entire chest and abdomen and her  
long fingernails dragged through his hair. She let out a soft moan and he stopped. He looked at  
her and something dawned on him. This was not Ororo. This would not make up for her leaving  
for Africa. This would not solve anything. THIS WAS NOT ORORO.   
He sat up and threw her top to her.   
"Get up, kid."  
"What?"  
"I can't do this. I shouldn't do this."  
"Yes you can."  
"No, I can't."  
"Logan. I am younger, more firm and livelier than she is. And I won't be afraid to scream  
your name and dig my fingernails into your back."  
He looked into her eyes and as if he was pleading to a deity, one that could not  
understand why, when she was offering security and eternal bliss, he begged her to let him  
remain where he was.  
"I love her," with a solitary breath, that was all that escaped his lips, and she shut her eyes  
slowly.  
"You really do?"  
"Yes. More than anything."  
"Then I guess this is goodbye."  
Betsy hopped on the next plane to London. She was going to meet a man by the name of  
Warren Worthington III, and he would pick up the pieces that Logan shattered. But for now her  
young and fragile heart had been fractured.  
That night Logan couldn't sleep. He paced back and forth in his room waiting to hear her  
footsteps. He did at 6:30 sharp. He got into the shower as he heard her leave and dressed in his  
jeans and a t-shirt. When he finished he dressed and waited for her to return.  
Forge had been giving her pamphlets on Africa everyday of the week for the last week,  
and Logan had to make up for lost time. But there was something inside him, crying to him that  
he shouldn't be doing this to her. That he shouldn't stoop to the same level as the man who had  
manipulated her for years on end. But he saw no other choice.  
He heard the door open and the soft trotting of running shoes on the main staircase. She  
had started to travel down the hallway when Logan surprised her from behind. She was in a pair  
of running shorts and a matching sports bra and had no suspicion that anyone else was even  
awake.   
"Logan, I---"  
He pressed her into the wall and kissed her square on the mouth. She immediately slung  
her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. With her standing before him, and no risk of  
anyone catching them, he had total liberties. His hands roamed her body from head to toe. He  
dropped to his knees and began to kiss her exposed midriff, from the base of her sports top to the  
elastic band on her shorts. His lips felt wonderful and she rested her head on the wall behind her.  
Then, as she exhaled she let four words escape her lips, "I love you, Logan."  
It startled him and shook him to the core. His conscience completely came back into  
working order and a wave of guilt flooded him. That was followed by an extreme rush of bliss.  
He looked at her, eye to eye, and she explained, "I tried to tell you earlier. But you kissed  
me. Logan, I'm in love with you."  
Nothing mattered anymore. No winning. No losing. She loved him back. 


	13. Surrender

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 13: Surrender  
  
Summary: Yes. Ororo and Logan finally get together. Feel free to be happy about it.  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me. They all belong to Marvel. The song Break Me  
belongs to Jewel! Please don't sue me!!!  
  
  
I will meet you in some place  
Where the light lends itself to soft repose........  
  
Ororo unwrapped the towel that sat upon her head and let her wet, silver tresses trickle  
down to her shoulders. She gazed out the window as she brushed her hair, and saw only half of  
the orange-red sun sinking below the trees. A small smile crossed her face and she pulled the  
long drapes shut, creating a misty glow in her bedroom. She padded over to her closet and  
slipped on a dress of forest green silk. It hung wonderfully over her curves and brought the smile  
back to her face again. After tightly pulling all of her hair away from her face she began to wind  
it into a sleek knot at the base of her neck when she realized it was Forge who liked her hair  
back, not Logan, and she let it fall freely again. She slipped on a pair of very short, dark green  
and gold heels that matched her dress perfectly. She wandered back into the bathroom to start  
doing her makeup.  
  
....I will let you undress me  
But I warn you, I have thorns like any rose........  
  
It dawned on her that she really didn't know what Logan was planning for this evening.  
She didn't know what he was going to think. Yes, they had been friends but as lovers, she didn't  
have any of Jean's grace, or Rogue's fire, or even Jubilee's humor. She stared at the face in her  
mirror suddenly scared. She didn't know what she had. And she was far from perfect. A thick  
lump formed at the base of her throat but she swallowed hard and found her khaki eyeliner.   
  
...And you could hurt me with your bare hands  
You could hurt me using the sharp end of what you say.....  
  
She finished her makeup and once again was eye to eye with the woman gazing back at  
her. This was not the woman she had looked at earlier. This woman had deep green eyeliner  
framing a massive amount of black fringe and crystal blue eyes. Her high cheekbones were  
accented beautifully with a thin sweep of blush and her thick lips were shining with gold lipstick.  
Her hair sat in reckless waves about her face, making her seem the untamable woman. And then  
her doorbell rang.  
  
...I am lost to you now  
There's no amount of reason to save me......  
  
She opened the door and Logan stood behind it, not at all in what anyone would have  
believed him capable of wearing. He had a pair of pressed black dress pants on and a crisp white  
shirt. (Although he did roll the shirt sleeves to his elbows.) He was (actually) fresh shaven. He  
didn't sport his usual five o'clock shadow.(Yet) He gave her his arm and the two turned to leave.  
Her insides had apparently turned into a small ball at the center of her body. She tried to tell  
herself that this was only Logan, but somehow the ball remained tightly wound. It was dawning  
on her that she really had fallen for him.   
  
....So break me  
Take me  
Just let me fill your arms again......  
  
He had borrowed a car rather than take his beat up truck. As Logan was helping her into  
the car, Remy and Rogue pulled into the drive. After stopping the bike Remy yanked off his  
helmet and stared at Ororo. Then he caught sight of Logan. He gave her a knowing smile as  
Logan closed the car door, then became aware that Rogue had thrown her helmet on the ground  
and was swearing under her breath as she entered the mansion. The car began to back out of the  
drive and she heard Remy chasing after Rogue apologizing for one thing or another.  
She watched Logan as he drove and smiled to herself. They pulled into the parking lot of  
a very small restaurant. It was beautifully decorated and they sat at a nice table, away from the  
chaos of the other diners. They talked and talked, but it was very different from when they had  
been solely friends. She felt like she was just discovering everything about him and didn't know  
where to begin.   
  
...Break me  
I'll let you make me  
Just let me feel your love again.....  
  
Dinner was excellent. Although dating was new to them dining was not and as always,  
half way through the meal they traded dishes. They still managed to talk, and sat drinking coffee  
long after they had finished their meals. He sat, holding her hand in his, and she felt truly and  
honestly safe. She had always told herself that she didn't needed a man to feel secure and happy,  
but in that moment she felt protected and elated.   
Eventually the restaurant had to close and they had to leave. It was one o'clock when they  
exited. She was laughing about a joke he had just made concerning Jubilee and Bobby's new  
relationship when he kissed her. He pressed her up to the car and kissed her. After breaking the  
kiss he opened the door and helped her into the car. He turned the keys and got the car running  
right when he got in. The heat kicked on and the chilly fall air they had let in warmed over. She  
leaned over and kissed him one last time before he pulled the car out of the parking lot and drove  
away. The lights behind them in the name of the restaurant went black as the car sped off into the  
darkness.  
  
....Feels like being underwater  
Now that I've let go and lost control  
Water kisses fill my mouth  
Water fills my soul....  
  
The ride back was a very short and Ororo somehow found her self in his room. They had  
a drink and laughed at the arguing couple across the hall from them. Apparently Remy had made  
quite a few mistakes this afternoon and was finally sick of being yelled at all the time. She  
obviously didn't care. Their battle had become a yelling match and he had clearly said the wrong  
thing when they could hear her sobbing. The fight was over then and their were only faint sounds  
of her sniffling as they walked down the hall.  
  
....Kiss me once  
Well, maybe twice  
Oh, it never felt so nice......  
  
He had leaned in and kissed her again. They sat and kissed for what Ororo felt was  
forever. But it was a good forever. While they sat kissing she managed to unbutton his shirt and  
she felt so safe as he held her tightly against his chest. He showered her with kisses, neglecting  
no part of her body. It was wonderful. He was wonderful. Everything just washed over her like  
waves of warm water. She let down all her guards and surrendered her all to him that night.   
  
....So break me  
Take me  
Just let me fill your arms again  
Break me  
I'll let you make me  
Just let me feel your love again 


	14. Goddess, Woman, Girl

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 14: Woman, Goddess, Girl  
  
Summary: Logan and Ororo's relationship kicked off the night before. This is the morning after.  
What happens with Forge and Ororo's sudden realization are in this chapter. It is pivotal. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to Marvel. I am not doing this to  
make any money, so please do not sue me!!!  
  
  
Logan had sprung to life as she slipped on a pair of his boxers and a t-shirt. He kissed her  
softly on the lips and she agreed to meet him for lunch that day. Silently, she crept out the door. It  
was early, and she had not expected to meet anyone in the halls, but she did.  
"Mornin' ma belle."  
She cringed when she heard his voice. She knew exactly what was coming next. The  
interrogation. Or the mockery. Or worse.  
"Ah knew it, ya know."  
She turned slowly and faced him. Her eyes met his an he stopped shuffling his deck of  
cards so that he could stare right back into her eyes.  
"Knew what, Remy?" she said in a calm voice.  
"Thatcha loved 'im."  
A smile broke out across her face and he hugged her friend. They were still as close as  
ever and he just shook his head at her.   
"You are one complicated femme. Don' know what I'd do with ya."  
"I"M complicated," she laughed. "What about that Scarlett O'Hara you're in love with."  
"Nobody said Remy was in love with her, belle."  
"You are. Don't deny it!"  
She shoved him aside and walked down the corridor. She was in a excellent mood and as  
she climbed in the shower the thought dawned on her that she would have to let Forge go  
somehow.  
The scalding hot water rushed down her spine and gathered her hair into a silver mass  
that ran sleekly down the center of her back. She inhaled deeply twice and turned her face to the  
sprinkle.  
She dressed in a fitted navy blue skirt and button up blouse, and pulled her still damp hair  
back in a twist. She taught her first class for the day and as soon as her free period arrived she ran  
to find Forge.  
Solemnly and softly, she knocked on the door and entered Forge's room. His suitcase was  
half packed and he was bustling about his room looking for all the things he would need upon  
departure.  
"Ah, Ororo!" he murmured when he saw her. "Are you almost ready to leave? Tonight's  
the night."  
"I am not coming with you Forge."  
The air had seemed to have left his body and he could merely wheeze a faint, "What?"  
"I am staying here."  
He went to open his mouth but she stopped him again.  
"Please. I've made my decision. Do not try to stop me. There are plenty of people to help  
you, and right now, I cannot leave New York. I cannot leave the mansion. I cannot leave the X-  
Men."  
"You cannot bring yourself to leave Logan. Do not try and convince me otherwise, Storm.  
I know you. I know the way your mind works. Any possibility at affection and you desperately  
cling to that individual....."  
"STOP!" a tortured cry burst from her lips and her eyes watered over as the met his. "You  
can't do this to me. I need to live my own life. I need to be happy. You cannot control me. You  
could at one point. And Logan was right, I almost let you again."  
"You don't know....."  
"I do. I finally do."  
"Ororo, you cannot have the faintest idea of what it is that you want until you know who  
you are. And my dear, you have no clue who Ororo Monroe is. Logan agrees with me."  
A knife had twisted in her side. "He what?" the mere whisper escaped her lips.  
"Late one night, when the threat of our relationship rekindling was in the air he told me  
that I was manipulating you. And sadly enough Ororo, he was partially correct."   
Her eyes widened and she hurriedly wiped the tears away from her eyes, smudging her  
eye makeup.  
"I'm sorry my dear. But what you need to realize is that I needed you, and there was no  
other way to get you. And now, now that I have no chance of winning you, I will let my secret  
slip. You have never known who you are. And at this rate, you never will. You are at a constant  
battle with yourself. The woman, who wants love, and to be treated simply as a woman. But then  
there is the Goddess, full of power and in dire need of respect. Finally, my favorite, the girl, who  
does not know how to balance these two forces and struggles to discover what they mean when  
meshed together in the same body. That is where you are weak, Ororo. That is your Achilles  
heel. You're unsure. Adolescent."  
The tears were coming in waves down her cheeks now. They fell hard and fast, because  
she knew, he was completely right.  
"Get over it, Ororo. Grow up already. You can't expect to truly know anybody else until  
you know yourself. That's one of your boyfriend's quotes."  
He snapped his suitcase shut and walked out the door. When he reached her he said  
"Goodbye Goddess."  
Ororo heard him close the front door. His room was excavated. She heard Logan's voice  
calling her. Quickly, hiding her face from view she turned and ran up the stairs, leaving Logan at  
the bottom. He called after her but she didn't respond. The tears poured down her cheeks as she  
ran, past Remy, past Scott, into her room. Where she sat down on the ground and rested her head  
against the locked door and sobbed into the warm wood. 


	15. Bittersweet Farewell

Title: Goddess By: Satine16  
  
Chapter 15: This Story's Over....Say Goodbye  
  
Summary: The harsh and bitter truth embedded itself into Ororo's heart and has driven her to  
what she believes is the only thing to do.  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. They belong to Marvel! John Mayer owns the  
song Victoria. Please don't sue me!  
  
  
I don't know why Tori came by.......  
  
"'Ro?" Remy seemed puzzled that Ororo came calling early in the morning. He knew she  
woke early, but not this early.   
"Hello, Remy."  
She had explained all of it to him the night before. How lost she was, and what Forge had  
said. He welcomed her into his room but she remained at the doorway. His eyes danced over her,  
took in her tan coat, leather gloves and Jackie-O sunglasses. She looked freshly pressed, and  
grown up, but there was something in her eyes that made her seem all of six years old.  
  
But I could see by the look in her eyes  
Tori'd been drivin' around the town for awhile  
Playin' with the thought of leavin'.......  
  
"Ya already packed?" she startled at the fact that he knew what she was thinking, but then  
again he always knew what she was thinking.  
She simply nodded. The air hissed out from in-between his teeth and his gaze penetrated  
her soul.   
"Did ya tell 'im?"  
She handed him an envelope, written in crystal blue ink, and her curly letters spelled out  
one word. Logan.  
It was a relief to Ororo that she never had to explain anything to Remy. He never asked  
too many questions, he just understood. Her mind didn't puzzle him, and he knew when to push.  
He hated the fact that she wanted to leave this all behind, but he comprehended that she  
needed to go. She was desperate to find herself, and eventually that desperation would swallow  
her soul.   
  
I don't know why Tori just smiled   
Mentioned somethin' about how you were right  
  
A placid smile broke across her undaunted, otherwise expressionless face.  
"The one person," she whispered, "who knew me best, and understands me the most, will  
always be you, Remy. But Logan saw how confused I was. Understood the whirlwind that had  
overtaken my mind. He'll know why I'm leaving. He'll understand."  
"Then tell 'im face ta face."  
"I can't. I tried. I went to his door, but if I see him I will never have the nerve to leave  
here. I won't want to leave him. I won't want to leave here. And I must."   
  
Must have been hard to see through the tears she was hidin'......  
  
He took her in a tight embrace and held her close to his warm, lean form for the last time.  
He tried to memorize her smell. Eucalyptus and lavender. She carried that scent since he had met  
her. He used all his energy to remember how she looked. He wanted to remember his best friend.  
She had to become an engraving in his mind. He had lost too many people in the depths of his  
memory, and he would not loose her.   
  
She said I might not be seein' him soon  
I've got a few things I've been waitin' to do  
Hey Tori came by  
Tori came by tonight  
Hey Tori came by  
She says to say goodbye........  
  
"Will you give him this letter, Remy?"  
"Of course, ma belle." Something was lodged in his throat and his normally smooth,  
accented voice escaped in a quiet, raspy tone. "How you gonna get outta here?"  
"Broke into my savings. Bought one of those little silver beetle cars." A smile flashed  
across her face and he saw a single tear emerge from under her large lenses and run down her  
cheek. Her fingers hastily wiped it away, almost as if she was embarrassed that he should see her  
cry.  
  
Looked outside at the car in the drive  
And the suitcase on the backseat inside   
Sure it's so she can't look out behind at the road.....  
  
He watched her walk to her car and open the door. They had made it here together. It was  
the first home either of them had ever had and she was the only family he'd ever really had. She  
looked up at him and blew a single kiss his way. He smiled at her from behind the large, fogged  
window and his eyes saddened to see her car drive away.  
  
She said I might not be seein' him soon  
I've got a few things I've been waitin' to do  
Hey Tori came by tonight  
Hey Tori came by  
She says to say goodbye  
  
"This is all she left, Cajun?"  
"Oui, mon ami. She didn't know who she was. You knew that. She knew you  
understood."  
Logan had spent hours reading and re-reading the ten page letter Ororo had left him. His  
blue eyes seemed to ask Remy the same question over and over again as the scanned the pages.  
Why? But Logan knew. He was completely aware of this weakness in her. This vulnerability.  
Her confusion. He was the one who originally suggested that she find herself.  
"Mon ami, she needs ta know. Needs to have some time, but Ah know she'll be back. She  
loves you. She didn' wanna leave ya. She got a big heart and it won' let her be away long."  
  
Don't look down she seemed alright  
You might be askin' where is Tori tonight  
Somewhere out on the highway  
I'm sure that she's fine.  
  
  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Hi to all those who've read this story,  
  
First, I am happy you read it. Second, I'm very happy if you've enjoyed it!!!! Thirdly, I  
will love you forever and ever if you review it! But the real reason I am posting this is that I hope  
y'all will be reading my next venture into writing. It's a story about an older Remy LeBeau, out  
on the road, reflecting on the women in his life, and the only woman that ever touched his soul.  
Hope you'll read it!!!!!! 


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